


Through the Ages

by zahrabane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Magnus is always going around being wildly successful, this is complete fluffy nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-22 03:51:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zahrabane/pseuds/zahrabane
Summary: Magnus Bane has lived through centuries, and filled his time with many occupations. Not because he had to, per se, but because certain arts caught his eye from century to century - a beautiful updo, an iconic home. But sometimes, in some places, Magnus has found a bit more than career fulfillment. Magnus finds Alec across centuries and circumstances, through alternate universes and different dimensions. Somewhere, somehow, some version of Magnus and Alec are always finding each other.





	1. Someone New

**Author's Note:**

> I was lucky enough to have the Queen of Fluff herself, [Alistoney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alistoney/pseuds/alistoney), as my beta for this. Thanks for all the help!
> 
> Also thank you to everyone who participated and organized the Sh Hiatus Bang this round, it was super inspiring to get to write with all of you, I had lots of fun :) 
> 
> Now onward to the fluff!

**Paris, France • 1895**

It was Thursday, and Thursday was Magnus’ favourite day. Not because the weekend was coming - no, Magnus generally didn’t take a day off until Monday because he loved doing party updos far too much to sit the weekends out - but because Thursday was Walk-in Day. And Walk-in Day was the most interesting, by far, of all the days.

Fellow hairdressers often scoffed at him for still doing walk-ins. Why would someone in little need of cash or experience leave a whole day open for god-knows-who? But Magnus wasn’t in this for the cash, and knew nothing could ruin his reputation at this point. Magnus was in this because he was endlessly fascinated by people. He liked to hear stories, see different faces, gain different perspectives, and fall in love just a little bit everyday with someone new. Walk-ins brought the travellers from lands far away, the half-distracted poets, and - oh look, a rather handsome soldier was about to walk through his door right now. 

Magnus all but preened, positioning himself at the front of the shop to greet his new guest. Thursdays were usually good days, but this one was shaping up to be particularly extraordinary, and the sun had hardly risen yet. The soldier was tall, so tall that Magnus briefly worried he would hit his head as he marched through the door. He was all angles, cheekbones for days and arched eyebrows that met them, and the distinct form of a  _ very  _ well muscled body. 

“Why hello there,” Magnus said, inwardly cursing himself for not saying something smoother. Magnus Bane was the epitome of smooth - how had this soldier managed to disarm him already? 

The soldier looked up, like he was surprised to find Magnus in his very own shop, and did nothing short of openly stare at Magnus. Magnus took note of this, tucking the soldier’s disarmament away for further consideration. 

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Magnus said, “which is a shame. I’m Magnus Bane. And you are?”

“Alec Lightwood.” 

“Lightwood?” Magnus pondered. The name sounded familiar, brought forth the image of a slender face and long dark hair from a long time ago with a name he couldn’t quite place….

“My sister, Isabelle, sent me,” Alec clarified. 

Ah, Isabelle, the lovely young woman who had visited the city all those years ago. That made sense. Magnus could see the family resemblance now that Alec had pointed out they were related. They were both contrasts of light and dark, fierceness with something soft underneath, beauty touched by something of a harsh life. 

“Well, anyone Isabelle sends is a friend of mine,” And a very intimate friend of Alec’s Magnus would like to be. 

“Are you a hairdresser or do you do shaves as well?” Alec was started to fidget in his rigid stance, looking like he didn’t quite know if he belonged in here. 

“My dear, I do both” Magnus dropped a wink. “Take whichever seat you like.” 

Alec walked towards the chairs and Magnus stepped to the door, dropping the blind over it. It was early yet, and if people thought he was closed for a few more hours, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Magnus liked giving his guests the individual attention they needed (especially when they were as handsome as Alec), and one less hectic day wouldn’t be bad for him. 

“Soldier?” Magnus asked, coming up behind Alec and dropping an apron around Alec’s neck. He felt Alec shiver as his fingertips brushed against skin while tying the apron.  

“How did you know?”

“That stance. I’ve known a soldier or two in my time quite intimately,” he smirked. 

He saw Alec blush, turning his head away quickly. An innocent mind wouldn’t have quite caught the innuendo, but Alec’s mind clearly wasn’t innocent as he braved looking Magnus in the eye again through the mirror. 

Magnus didn’t want to push, but it turned out he wouldn’t have to. 

He grabbed some cream from the counter, softly brushing it along Alec’s cheek. Alec instinctually leaned his cheek into Magnus’ palm, causing Magnus to catch his breath and cream to splatter across Alec’s nose. 

Alec jerked his head up, surprised and horrified at what he had just done. 

“I must apologize,” he said hastily. “I’m quite exhausted and I….” 

“Worry not,” Magnus replied, picking up a clothe. He ran it over Alec’s face so he could start afresh, then placed his hand on Alec’s shoulder. 

“Just relax,” he soothed, running a hand down Alec’s arm. He looked for signs of discomfort, but Alec leaned into the touch again immediately, seemingly about to let out a small sigh before catching himself. “I can’t have you all skittish or I may cut you.”

“I’m relaxed,” Alec assured him. 

“Are you ever?”

“That’s a rather serious question for a Sunday afternoon, Mr. Bane.”

“You seem a serious person, Mr. Lightwood.” 

“I’m a soldier,” Alec reminded him. 

“Ah yes, how could I forget?” Magnus grabbed another dollop of cream to spread across Alec’s cheek, noticing the perfect way his cheekbone arched. 

“Now Mr. Lightwood, will that be a clean shave today?” 

“Yes, and - you can call me Alec. If you wish,” he blushed, looking at Magnus curiously, like he was worried he had suddenly been too familiar, too forward with him. 

“Alec,” Magnus mused, brushing off Alec’s uncertainty. “Short for Alexander?” 

Alec nodded, smearing more of the shaving cream. 

“Lovely name,” Magnus commented, beginning to run the razor lightly over Alec’s face.

“My parents thought so.” There was a slight bitterness in Alec’s tone, and it made Magnus want to instantly make the man hear his name the way Magnus heard it. Like it represented someone strong, classic, and impossibly interesting. 

“Well I think so as well. It rather suits you. Alexander the soldier. Alexander the warrior. Alexander the Great.” 

“You flatter me, likening me to Alexander the Great.”

“You could flatter me, if you dare approach me the way Alexander approached Hephaestion.”

Alec froze, and for a moment Magnus worried that he had gone too far. But then he looked up into the mirror, gaze questioning, like he didn’t dare believe Magnus had said what he thought he did. 

“You speak of the love that dare not speak its name?” Alec asked in a spur of confidence, looking up to meet Magnus’ eye in the mirror. 

“Well read, I see.” 

Alec simply nodded in response when Magnus lifted the razor from his skin, but didn’t seem interested in pursuing the topic. He closed his eyes, and if Magnus was being hopeful, he’d say it almost looking like Alec was sitting back and savouring the feeling of Magnus’ touch as he shaved his face. Never before had a simple shave felt so breathtaking, but really, this was a truly intimate act. Alec, leaning back and trusting, and Magnus, his fingertips holding the edge of a razor so close to some of his most sensitive skin. 

Too soon, the shave was over. 

Alec got up gracefully, looking at his watch, his mind a thousand miles away. 

“I must be going.”

“Would you like to meet again? Perhaps tonight in a more intimate setting?”

Alec looked lost for a moment, like he was caught in a situation he hadn’t planned for when he woke up that morning. Magnus could sense Alec’s body leaning towards him, wanting, and then just like that Alec was straightening back up into that rigid soldiers’ pose that had so clearly been drilled into him as a default. 

“I cannot.”

“Alexander -”

“No Magnus, you don’t understand.” Alec stepped back towards the door. “I wish to,” he whispered like he was confessing something, “but I simply cannot.” 

“I do understand,” Magnus replied, trying to convey, that really, he did. If he hadn’t had little to lose, he might not have had the bravery to end up where he was today. And still it had been terrifying. To rise to the top of his profession, with the fear everyday of being sent to the goals and having his careers irrevocably destroyed for whom he loved. But the greatest act of resistance was to smile through it all, to live in happiness in defiance of a world that was unwilling to allow someone like Alexander Lightwood a moment of pleasure. So he smiled at Alec, and extended his hand in the most professional manner so as to not cause the slightest suspicion of a passerby. 

Alec looked at a loss for words, reaching forward in reverence to take Magnus’ hand. His grip was strong, and if he held onto Magnus’ hand a moment too long, Magnus didn’t complain or bother to mention it. 

“Your fee,” Alec said, reaching for his wallet awkwardly with his left hand. Magnus reluctantly let his hand drop. 

“Alexander Lightwood, it was a pleasure to meet you. Consider your company enough.” 

“I couldn’t -” Alec protested. “You’re one of the best in the kingdom…” 

“And thus I don’t need a penny from you.” 

Alec nodded, accepting Magnus’ logic.

“If you ever find yourself in need of another shave -”

“My regiment is unfortunately moving on, and I’m not sure when or if we may ever be back,” Alec admitted, face falling.  

“Ah, well. Perhaps we will see each other again someday.”

“I hope so.” Alec turned around, his step lighter and his back just the slightest bit less rigid, as though the very hope of seeing someone like Magnus Bane again in more free times had allowed him to lighten the weight of a regimented life ever-so-slightly.


	2. To Find a Home

**London, England • 1955**

When Alec saw Magnus Bane on the porch, he thought he must have come to the wrong house. But no, this was 112 Brooklyn St. This was exactly the sort of quintessential type of home his father would have sent him to see.

It’s just that  _ his father _ had sent him to meet this man, the wealthiest and most powerful real estate agent known for having exquisite tastes and exceptional customer satisfaction. Alec had been expecting someone like the business partners his parents associated with - wealthy, snobby, middle-aged, and utterly boring. 

Magnus Bane was anything  _ but _ boring. He looked young as well, not a year or two older than Alec, and yet somehow so successful already. But it wasn’t just his youth that had Alec stopping in his tracks. Magnus Bane was like a photograph taken in full colour, his very personality seeming to illuminate all the different pieces of jewelry that hung over his well-fitted suit. He was elegant, he was powerful, and he had Alec speechless, thinking his father may have finally given him exactly what he wanted for the first time in his life.  

“You must be Mr. Alec Lightwood,” Magnus said, walking down to meet Alec at the bottom of the stairs where Alec had frozen in disbelief. 

Alec nodded quickly, hastening to meet Magnus and sticking out his hand to shake. 

“And you must be Mr. Magnus Bane,” he said, feeling Magnus’ warm hand envelope his. Shaking Magnus’ hand was a mistake, but one deemed necessary by common courtesy. He felt like every nerve in his hand was reacting to the touch, trying to pull him closer and closer to Magnus. His eyes were drawn to Magnus’, and he saw a startled expression of recognition widening Magnus’ eyes, highlighting the golden tinge to his brown iris’. Alec felt like something about Magnus was intimately familiar, like he had known him in a previous life or an alternate dimension, not that that was something Alec necessarily believed in. 

Magnus smiled a small, familiar smile, his eyes sparkling.

“Shall I show you around the house?”

*******

Alec was sure the house Magnus was showing him was exquisite, but to be honest he hadn’t paid a moment’s attention to it. The most expensive chandelier in all of England couldn’t compare to the way the light illuminated Magnus as he moved around the house, gracefully pointing out the houses’ assets and explaining things to Alec that he wouldn’t have understood even if he had been able to focus on the house for more than half a second. 

Alec noticed the way the light from the big windows caught the golden buttons on Magnus’ vest. He stepped closer, feeling like a moth drawn to the flame that was Magnus Bane.  Magnus mentioned something about mahogany and Alec thought all the mahogany couldn’t compete with the rich tones of red the sunlight was bringing out of Magnus’ silky black hair. 

Alec was lost in the haze of sunlight and the beauty of the man before him, and this was not lost on Magnus. He smirked, deciding it was time to bring his client back to the matter at hand, if only so they could perhaps get this showing over with and get onto something more pleasurable during a lovely afternoon such as this. 

“So what do you think of this room, Mr. Lightwood?” 

“I’m sure my fiancé would appreciate a large study,” Alec commented offhand. 

“Fiancé?” Magnus asked curiously. He looked Alec up and down, wondering if he had read him all wrong. 

Alec squirmed on the spot. 

“Er, yeah,” he said, posture becoming rigid. 

“When’s the wedding?” Magnus asked, trying to keep his tone light and his disappointment hidden behind his professional façade. 

“3 weeks,” Alec said, head lifting to stare at Magnus like a soldier reporting for duty. Like he was about to walk into a war zone, not a blissfully wedded life. Maybe Magnus hadn’t read him wrong after all. 

“Are you excited?” Magnus asked, though he thought he might know the answer. 

“I’ll be happy to gather with my family once again,” Alec answered evasively. “It has been too long.” 

_ Family. _ The way he said the word, with seriousness, reverence, and a hint of sadness, made Magnus suspect that this  _ family  _ may be the true cause of the upcoming wedding. 

“And where is your fiancé?” Magnus asked. “Does she not wish to view her future home?” 

“Busy,” Alec replied curtly. “She’s quite a busy woman.” 

“Ah. In that case, allow me to occupy you by showing you the master bedroom.” 

Magnus saw Alec’s face tinge red, a clue that he had picked up on the suggestion. He led the way out of the study and up the stairs leisurely, making sure Alec had plenty of opportunity to look. He stopped at the ornate door to the bedroom, turning to face Alec. 

“Are you ready Mr. Lightwood?” 

Alec blinked, swallowed, and then looked Magnus up and down. Magnus thought that perhaps he had taken his flirtations too far, and that Alec was indeed entirely unprepared for any of this - his marriage, a home, someone like Magnus appearing suddenly in his life like a temptation he hadn’t bargained for. 

Instead Alec nodded curtly. 

“Show me.” 

_ I’ll show you the world, _ Magnus wanted to say.  But instead, he held the door open, stepping against it with a polite “after you”, positioning himself so that Alec couldn’t help but brush against him as he stepped inside. Alec made no move to avoid the proximity to Magnus’ body, his arm brushing against Magnus’ chest forcing Magnus to restrain a pleasant shudder. This up close, Alec smelled absolutely divine, carrying a dark spicy scent with unmistakable notes of elegance and masculinity. 

Magnus knew this room was the finest in the house. It was large, spacious, and furnished with some of the best quality wardrobes he had ever seen. The large bed had brass posters that gleamed, and a door past the window led to a luxurious ensuite bathroom. But all of the descriptors Magnus had practiced before the showing died in his throat as he glanced at the bed, then back up at Alec, thoughts of spreading Alec out between those four posters darkening his eyes. Alec’s dark hair would be a beautiful contrast to the brass, especially if he mused it so that it lay messy on the sheets. 

Magnus blinked, trying to force himself to come to his senses. This was supposed to be a  _ professional _ meeting for goodness sake, but the atmosphere had undeniably changed since they had walked into the bedroom, the thick and palpable want of both men solidifying in the air of the intimate room. 

Alec was standing face to face with him, looking at him like he was trying to figure something out, decide what he was supposed to do next. Magnus took pity on him, breaking the silence with words that gave Alec a choice; to go back to business as usual, or to break with tradition and let Magnus show him the finer things in life that used his extensive knowledge of expensive furniture in an entirely unconventional way. 

“Is this master bedroom to your satisfaction?” he asked, though neither of them had looked beyond the bed. 

“Yes. Thank you. For showing me this beautiful home.” He made like he was going to shake Magnus’ hand right there in the bedroom, but in an act of bravery Magnus felt he had been waiting for all this time, Alec pulled his hand towards him, tenderly covering it with his other hand. Magnus felt his heart catch. 

“I don’t think you saw much of the house.” 

“I saw much else to my satisfaction, if only it were on the market for me, so to speak.” 

Alec blushed deeply, unable to look away from Magnus, and right there in that moment, Magnus knew he had him. Alexander Lightwood may think he was condemned to marrying this woman, but Magnus Bane would be damned if he ever allowed one of his clients leave unsatisfied.

“Would you care to see a different house this evening? Perhaps I could give you an intimate tour of my own chambers?”

Alec dropped Magnus’ hand, looking down. 

“I’ll… I’ll call you,” Alec suggested, a half-promise not to necessarily come to Magnus’ home, but to at least see him again someday, in some form. 


	3. The Shot of an Arrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's canon time.

**New York, New York • 2016**

The first time Magnus saw him this time, it was entirely unexpected. 

He was not having the best of days. Being the High Warlock of Brooklyn was one of the more stressful jobs his wild career path had taken him on, but most times he couldn’t deny he enjoyed the prestige. However, today, people’s lives were dependent on  _ him _ . Valentine and his circle members were out on the hunt, and he had been lured (rather unfairly, with his emotions being played  _ entirely _ against him) out by some Shadowhunters. Sure, he liked a party, but not a the risk of his people being hunted down by the most cruel Shadowhunters in a long, long history of cruel Shadowhunters. 

He was here for one reason and one reason only: the amulet he had gifted to Camille so long ago. He had longed for it back for  _ centuries _ . Why exactly, he wasn’t sure. Probably something to do with his deep sentimentality. And his urge to have something physical in his hands to remind him that, though people may leave him through choice or death, he had  _ something.  _ He wasn’t always alone, and he wouldn’t have to be alone forever. 

Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure why he had come out at all. Camille was in the past, and so was that necklace he had given her. Even parties like this were beginning to feel like a thing of the past, the pulsing music and the ravenous souls making Magnus restless to seek comfort and pleasure  _ elsewhere _ , though where and with whom he didn’t know. The entire ordeal was exhausting and he really just wanted to return to his lair and avoid Valentine for the rest of, well, eternity. 

That is, until he saw the Shadowhunter that would change everything. 

The meeting had been boring. He had snatched the amulet out of Jace Wayland’s hand, murmuring to it like a long lost love. He was sentimental, he couldn’t fight that. He had revealed that, regrettably but probably for the good of the world, he had fed Clary’s memories to a memory demon. Poor girl.

He offered his hand out to Clarissa Fairchild one last time, who really did get the short end of the stick in this whole ordeal, Shadowhunter or not. He remembered what it was like, realizing he had an evil father, and he felt for her. 

“Come with me.” 

Clary caught one look from the Wayland boy, who shook his, and her mind was made up. 

“I won’t offer again,” Magnus insisted, rolling his eyes. Really, these Shadowhunters were foolish.

“No,” Clary stated, with the righteous conviction Magnus thought only the truly young and mortal could manage. “No, I won’t hide from my problems, and neither should you.” 

It seemed Clary Fairchild had found her people, and, pity, even a childhood growing up in the mundane world couldn’t erase the call of that annoying Angel’s decree. 

He was just about to step into the portal, leaving behind all this Shadowhunter drama, when an arrow flew past him. The arrow was followed by a tall, raven-haired Shadowhunter. 

_ Great, more trouble, _ Magnus usually would have thought. 

Instead Magnus found himself unable to think at all. The Shadowhunter moved with grace and speed towards his target, whom appeared to be one of those pesky circle members. The Shadowhunter wasn’t focused on anything else, but for some reason Magnus felt himself focusing entirely on  _ him _ . Like he had seen this Shadowhunter before, and could predict his every move. He felt the urge to go to the Shadowhunter’s side, to join him like they had fought many battles together before, but that was ridiculous. Magnus had seen many Shadowhunters fight before. They all moved this way, stalking their prey with their angelic vengeance running hot through their veins. It all looked the same. That’s all this could be, right?

“ _ Who are you?”  _ Magnus whispered, unable to help himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of the Shadowhunters looking up at him curiously, and he realised he had made the comment out loud. He turned back to his portal. He had to get out of here. Showing affection for Shadowhunters, even one as hot as tall, dark, and handsome over there was not a part of his impeccable image as one of the leaders of the New York Downworld. The Shadowhunter was graceful, sure, Magnus noted, as he turned a weapon over in his hands like it was nothing. But that careless power was also what made Shadowhunters so dangerous. 

Which was exactly why he had to get out of here. Because Shadowhunter power was dangerous and he was being hunted. 

So Magnus stepped into his portal, determined not to give another moment’s thought to the Shadowhunters. His thoughts were with his people, but the face of the archer appeared unbidden against his eyelids the moment he closed his eyes against the swirl of magic. 

***

Magnus came back to utter and absolute chaos. He was shaking with a rage. His people had scattered, but some had been unable to escape the massacre. This is what happened when you mixed with Shadowhunters, and he  _ should have known. _ They had thoughtlessly, carelessly drawn him out of hiding, giving absolutely no thought to what sort of risk that would pose for his  _ people _ . They always thought they knew best, and they hardly ever did. 

Magnus was fighting the absolute swine that had murdered Elias when for the second time that day, an arrow whoosed past him. He could feel the presence behind him, feel that beautiful Shadowhunter without even looking, and somehow he knew exactly how to work in tandem with him, like they had faced a thousand enemies together before. 

He shot his magic out immediately after the Shadowhunter’s arrow landed, finishing off the vile circle member. 

“Well done,” a voice said, coming from behind Magnus. It was low and smooth, sarcastic and curious, layer upon layer wrapped up in two words that sent a shiver down Magnus’ spine, opening something up inside him. He snapped into his defensive state immediately. Not his fighting defensive state, but the one that was so smooth it would never be mistaken for defence at all. It oozed charm as a shield, and used nonchalance as an amour. Elias’ death had hit him hard just moments before, and he was not prepared to be disarmed again, even if this perhaps might be a more pleasant disarmament.

“More like medium rare,” he quipped, turning around to face the stunning Shadowhunter behind him. 

Magnus had met a lot of people in his long, long life, but something about this shadowhunter screamed of familiarity, of  _ I’ve known you, somewhere, somehow, sometime, in some dimension _ . While Magnus knew the world was too cruel to believe the fates or higher powers were allocating him soulmates, he also knew to trust his intuition. Something about the hazel eyes beneath the shock of dark hair told Magnus that this man was someone Magnus could come home to. 

Whether or not some former, some  _ other _ , iteration of Magnus had known this Shadowhunter, Magnus had the feeling that now was his time to get to know him. So Magnus summoned every ounce of charm, holding his hand out towards the tall, dark and handsome man before him. 

“I’m Magnus. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.” 

“Alec.” 

Alec smiled and Magnus thought it made him a thousand times more beautiful. He couldn’t help mirror him with a small, curious smile of his own. Something about Alec opened him up, made him want to let beauty in again. 

“Oh uh… we should really...you know, probably get..”

Alec was stammering, which was not something Magnus had seen a Shadowhunter do, well,  _ ever. _ It was adorable. Were Shadowhunters capable of being adorable? Before now, Magnus would have said no. 

“Right, we should join the party,” Magnus suggested helpfully. 

“Right,” agreed Alec, looking slightly disappointed at the thought. He stepped away quickly, walking out of the room like he was on a mission. 

Magnus looked back, surveying the damage that had been done. 

“This fight’s far from over,” he told the empty room. 

The fight for what, he wasn’t quite sure. To save the world? To save his heart? Everything seemed up in the air, impossibly open and at once tragic to Magnus at that moment. To find beauty in a warzone could only lead to disaster. 

He followed the Shadowhunter out of the room. There was only one way to find out where all of this would lead, and Magnus found himself suddenly curious, no longer willing to hide in the shadows. 

***

The first time Magnus and Alec kissed had been a long time coming, and it terrified Magnus to think how close it had come to never happening at all. 

If Magnus had taken Alec’s words seriously, if it had been anyone else but Alec who had shied away and put up walls, Magnus would have given up a long time ago. But something inside Magnus  _ knew  _ Alec, knew he needed to keep on fighting for both of them. 

So against all reason, he had shown up at Alec’s marriage to another person, seconds away from too late. 

The minute his eyes caught Alec’s, Magnus’ breath stopped. He knew the fight was almost over now. Never had Magnus left a man looking so disarmed, and never had he felt so disarmed in return. They were laying their weapons down, Alec leaving his fear at the altar, Magnus his charm outside the hall.  Magnus had come this far, had crossed his side of the of the warzone, and all he could do was stand there and wait for Alec to meet him in the middle. 

Seeing Alec walk down the aisle felt like seeing him for the first time all over again. The Alec Magnus had come to know was unsteady, and constantly filled with internal conflict. This Alec was confident and sure, walking directly towards exactly what he wanted: Magnus Bane. 

Magnus thought he had never looked more like himself in his life. 

When he reached Magnus, he didn’t pause for a moment. His momentum kept him going, had him grabbing Magnus by his lapels, 

Magnus tasted Alec’s mouth, and felt his life begin all over again. The kiss was messy, and passionate, a tangle of emotions Alec had been waiting too long to acknowledge. It was something Magnus knew from experience was impossible to fake.

Magnus felt hope, and he leaned into the feeling, chasing Alec’s lips. 

***

It had been 10 years since that fateful day when Alec had almost been married, and of course Magnus, sentimental fool that he was, had been counting. 

_ Almost _ . The word made Magnus’ heart seize, but maybe it shouldn’t have anymore. If there was one thing he had learned from Alec, it was that he could trust his feelings. He could trust that he was supposed to be with Alec. There had been something fateful about a Downworlder and a Shadowhunter meeting in the times that they had, as if their love could knit together the pain between their people. 

It couldn’t solve everything, of course, but it was a start. Magnus and Alec had been a start that had shown others that love was possible. 

Magnus woke up alone today, but that wasn’t unusual. Alec was a morning person so he was in charge of breakfast, and Magnus was all about the evenings, conjuring up elaborate dinners for their family. 

_ Family. _ Magnus hadn’t really woken up alone. He hadn’t for a long time. He woke up to the smell of breakfast and coffee, to his children laughing at who-knows-what as their father droned on softly in the background about what lessons they would be learning today. He woke up feeling warm and loved, and he got out of bed slowly, not bothering to fix the hair Alec had so thoroughly messed up the night before after the kids had gone to bed. 

He walked blearily into the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee that Alec always had ready. He stepped through the chaos of their two children, ruffling their hair as he passed by, making them giggle in protest. He felt Alec come up behind him as he reached the coffee maker, handing him a mug. 

He leaned back against Alec, closing his eyes for just a moment and daydreaming that they were still in bed. Alec kissed his hair softly, still tender after all these years.

“Good morning Alexander,” Magnus mumbled, turning to face his partner. 

“Morning,” Alec replied, sounding all too cheery for this hellish hour. “Ready to take the kids to the Institute?” 

“Mhmmm,” Magnus replied, looking into Alec’s eyes and feeling that together, they could face anything, even a chaotic morning with a magical 5-year-old and a warrior 8-year-old. 

Magnus looked at Alec, but he didn’t see hope there, the way he once had all those years ago. He felt something much less fleeting; a stability he, in his long, long life, had never really known. He looked at Alec and saw trust. Trust that Alec would stay, trust that Alec loved him, and trust that they would continue intertwining their beautiful lives together for as long as they could. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you've made it all the way to the end! Thanks so much for reading!! You can find me on tumblr as [zahrabane](http://zahrabane.tumblr.com/%22%3E) or on twitter as [@zahra_bane](https://twitter.com/zahra_bane), I love to scream about Shadowhunters.


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